The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-07-01

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II was nearing the close Of the July
day preceding the one we celebrate BY
cun-iiring. bell ringing and reckless in
diligence in cooling beverages not al
wars me from alcoholic suggestions
vandyke Brown was sitting - COM
narrative ease in hard -bottomed chair
on the front stoop Of an ancient hos
selry in little old halfforgctten coun-
uy village. congratnlating himself In
being removed--as far - h possible in
patriotic America--frcm the usual In
dependence Day tumult Six weeks
previous he had taken up his abode II
briggs Tavern to use the Way
back vernacular - where with one
pleasing exception he was the only
s'city boarder."
Thank Heaven for the prospect Of .
quiet, restful Fourth" murmured
Brown. exhaling sigh Of somewhat
mingled cast with volume Of fragrant
cigar smoke. - he glanced down the
eide eln,-shaded street which. in the
dusty distance. dwindled into the stage
road between Wayback and the busy
shire town Of Pigwacket itself. the
nearest connecting link between Way
back and the social centers Of civ
ilizaticn. The only visible signs Of
life were Deacon Pipers' OK team jog
ging leisurely homeward. knot Of
idlers sitting in front Of Jones varie-
" store. and half-a-dozen boys COM
pairing notes on the subject Of fire
crackers. near the country pump.
Yet no happiness Is complete. nor Is
there perfect peace. on this side Of the
hereafter. vandyke Brown had already
experienced the crumpled roSeleaf Of
his couch There was a suggestion Of
its presence in the gloomy look which
he cast toward the further end Of the
piazza where . remarkably pretty
young lady sat dividing her time
equally between . hammock. novel
and the Widow Briggs Tommy. aged
fourteen
Possibly il was the same conscious
ness Of the metaphoric roseleaf which
caused Brown to wriggIe uneasily in
his char. and then rise rather abrupt
". as though to move away. Or pos
sibly the impulse was due to another
cause For as he thus uprose, so e
his momentary dismay did the chair
sdhering with unpleasant tenacity e
his summer trousers. and as his choler
rpse 90 did his color. Particularly
when from the vicinity Of the hammock
be heard sound As Of depressed
ripple If faint laughter blended with ;
loud smoker from Tommy Briggs
Guess some Of that air soft tar W.
was usin' on the pear trees got droppet
accidentally onto the chair-seai. men
datiously suggested Tommy. as soor
rs his freckled face had Gained to ii
usual expression Of artless innocence
But vandyke Brown. wrathfull,
wrenching himself and the chair apart
started upstairs TO his room. where
after . change Of garments, he sat 70
hours smoking At the open window.
prey to melancholy and mosquitoes
He was nm overworked journalist o
considerable mental ability. to whom
complete rest and quiet had been en-
Joined for season Nervous prostra
ton the doctor called it, His appe
tite was MI. One-half his brain sat al
nights 70 watch the other half tryin,
to sleep, and he had no heart for work
But this last was because he had lost
20 Miss yanvarre. his fair fello,
boarsier.
But. alas. this young lady who ha
perfect health not only affected tots
Inconsistencies Of the latter symptom
but with frankncss peculiar to heI
self blandly asserted that nerves wer
belief and drugs an abominatior
And when finally she laughingly q
cused Brown Of being : slave
bronides. he was secretly wroth an
answered 50 sharply that for day Q
two GOODNESS had sprung up betwee
them Whereby he had also INQUIRE
the enmity Of Tommy Briggs. who. b
ing Miss vanvarre's avowed chan
pion. strongly resented Mr. Brown
attitude in such ways rs his mischie
Gus ingenuity suggested Whic
probably accounted not only for Il
adhesive episode Of the evening. b
also for the discovery. a. he prepare
for bed. Of two diminufive yet r
markably lively young mud-turtle
each the size Of trade dollar. betwe'
his bed sheets--startlingly suggesti
for the moment Of his exaggerst.